Baggage Allowance
On the commercial transportation, mostly with airlines, the baggage allowance is
the amount of checked baggage or hand/carry-on luggage the company will allow
per passenger. There may be limits on the amount that is allowed free of charge,
and hard limits on the amount that is allowed.
The limits vary per airline and depend on the class, elite status, type of
ticket, flight origin and destination. If a flight is booked together with
another flight it may also have different limits (e.g. if another flight on the
same ticket is a long-haul flight). The exact baggage conditions are mentioned
in the ticket information online.
On aircraft, there are two types of baggage, which are treated differently:
checked baggage and hand/carry-on luggage. For both types, transportation
companies have rules on the weight and size.
For checked baggage, stored in the aircraft hold, usually the weight is the
limiting factor. All checked items are generally weighed by the airline during
check-in, and if they exceed the limit, the passenger is informed by the
airline. To avoid any fees, the passenger often must switch some of the items
found in the suitcase to another suitcase, or else carry it on.
Carry-on luggage is judged primarily by size. Bags are measured by dimension or
in total linear measurement (length + width + height). However, there may also
be other restrictions on the types of belongings that can be carried on the
plane.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released recommendations
for limits on checked baggage and carry-on luggage. Some companies adhere to
these recommendations, some adhere partially and some don't adhere at all to
them.
The recommendations for checked baggage are: adviced maximum weight 23 kg,
weight limit 32 kg, adviced maximum size 158 cm length + width + height, limit
203 cm. The limit of 23 kg is present because of similar limits in health and
safety regulations.
Because of the wide variation in hand/carry-on luggage limits, in 2015 IATA
released a size recommendation for suitcases meant as hand/carry-on luggage.
These state that suitcases should have a maximum size of 55 cm long, 35 cm wide
and 20 cm deep. If they meet these requirements, the bag may carry the logo
"IATA cabin OK". This limit is tighter than most current airline limits, so bags
with this logo are practically allowed everywhere.
Two concepts for baggage weight limits are in use.
Piece Concept
Under the Piece Concept, passengers are permitted to check in a certain amount
of suitcases with a per-bag weight of up to 50 pounds (23 kilograms) for Economy
Class, and up to 70 pounds (32 kilograms) for Business or First Class. The
allowed weight per suitcase and the number of suitcases varies per airline and
depends on the class, elite status, type of ticket, flight origin and
destination.
Weight Concept
Under the Weight Concept, each passenger is permitted to check in a total weight
regardless of the amount of suitcases. Often passengers traveling together can
also combine their allowed weights. The total weight varies per airline and
depends on the class, elite status, type of ticket, flight origin and
destination.
folder_open...Aviation Glossary